Last year, Grizzly Bear bassist Chris Taylor released his solo album Dreams Come True under the moniker CANT. And this week, guitarist Daniel Rossen (also of Department of Eagles) followed suit by announcing that he will be releasing a five-song solo EP entitled Silent Hour/Golden Mile via Warp Records on March 20. With members keeping themselves busy with other projects, fans of the Brooklyn-based quartet may be a bit worried if a follow-up to 2009’s brilliant Veckatimest will ever see the light of day. However, those worries can be put at ease by checking out our Most Anticipated Albums of 2012 feature and finding that they are working on a new full-length (though details are scarce at this point).
Until then, Rossen figures to whet the fans’ appetite by releasing the track “Saint Nothing” off his upcoming EP. The track opens with a melancholy-drenched piano that creeps along for the first minute before he enters with his signature tenor. Though the pace is somewhat droning, the yearning vocals and minimalist structure provide a sense of intimacy that greatly emphasizes the deep lament that Rossen is expressing. Towards the end, vocal melodies dance alongside the piano where subtle horns are added to provide a sense of depth. In the press release for Silent Hour/Golden Mile, Rossen stated that the songs are a way of trying to regain perspective and direction in his life. “Saint Nothing” offers a glimpse that his journey is going to be emotionally exhausting.
